This invention relates to an inputting apparatus suitable for use to input a locus, for example, on a display unit which is capable of emitting and receiving a light flux and display a locus of the light flux on the display unit so that the locus can be recognized, a fabrication method for the inputting apparatus and an inputting method using the inputting apparatus.
In related art, where a touch panel is formed on a display screen of an image display apparatus in such a manner that an operator is capable of operating the touch panel by touching with the screen, the touch panel is formed separately from the display apparatus and is placed on the display screen.
On the other hand, a display apparatus has been proposed which has a light emitting function and a light receiving function and includes a screen which functions as it is as a touch panel without provision of a separate touch panel. A display apparatus of the type described is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-301373 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1), 2005-293374 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 2), 2005-338428 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 3) or 2006-30855 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 4).
Further, as an apparatus for irradiating a flux of light from the outside on the surface of a display apparatus to indicate a position without using reflected light, an instrument for irradiating light from a remote position such as a pointer or a light emitting pen having a light source in the inside thereof has been proposed. Such a light emitting pen as just described is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-43992 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 5) or 2005-4682 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 6). However, even if a laser pointer is used, before a laser beam is emitted, it cannot be known which place on a display panel the laser beam points to. Further, since the laser pointer is operated at a remote place, a character or the like cannot be drawn well, and therefore, enhancement of the operability is demanded. Further, even if a light emitting pen which includes a light source provided in the inside thereof and emits light from the tip thereof is used, a power supply for driving the light source to emit light is required. Where a cell or the like is built in and used together with the light emitting pen, replacement of the built-in cell is required when the voltage drops. Further, where a rechargeable cell is used, it is necessary to provide a charger and a space for the charger, and this requires complicated handling. Further, use of a cell generally increases the size and the cost.
Meanwhile, as a display panel which allows inputting thereto by means of a pen, a resistance film type touch panel or an electrostatic capacitance type touch panel is available. The resistance film type touch panel is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-309482 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 7) or 2004-139191 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 8). However, such display panels is capable of merely detecting a coordinate position but cannot perform detection of multiple points or detection of an area, different from touch panels of the optical inputting type.
Also a display apparatus has been proposed which has such a light emitting function and a light receiving function and allows inputting of information using an input pen. A display apparatus of the type described is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-85265 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 9).
Incidentally, where such a material body as a pen which is not likely to closely contact with the surface of a display panel is used for inputting, since light from the surface of the display panel diffuses, the amount of reflected light decreases. Thus, even if the surface of the display panel is formed so as to have a white color or is formed as a mirror surface in order to prevent such reduction of the reflect light amount, the light is diffused again by the surface. Consequently, the amount of light which reaches optical sensors on the surface of the display panel is reduced to such a low level that the reflected light cannot be detected by the display panel side.
Meanwhile, Patent Document 9 discloses, particularly in FIG. 2, an input pen wherein a recessed portion is provided at a light conversion portion (portion for reflecting display light) at the tip of the input pen so that display light may be irradiated in a concentrated manner upon a smaller area. However, even where an input pen is configured in such a manner as just described, it still fails to sufficiently increase the amount of reflected light.